2014 Junior Pan Pacs: Day One Prelims Live Prelims Recap

2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships

• Thursday, August 27th-Sunday, August 31st
• Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
• Prelims 9AM (local time) / 12PM PDT / 3PM EDT / 4AM+1 Tokyo / 5AM+1 Sydney / 9PM Cape Town / 4PM Rio de Janeiro / 8PM London / 9PM Paris
• 2012 results
• Psych Sheets
• Live stream
• Live results
• Results also available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships”

Wednesday, August 27th:

• 200 free
• 100 back
• 200 fly
• Girls 800 free
• Boys 1500 free

 Girls 200 Free – Prelims

It’ll be an Australian followed by a pair of Americans heading into the final of tonight’s first event, as Shayna Jack from Down Under picked up the top seed in the women’s 200 free. Jack put a 1:59.63 on the board early, and it held up through the final two circle-seeded heats, surviving a scare from American Katie Drabot out of the final heat. Drabot was 1:59.93 and sits second.

Drabot’s teammate Courtney Harnish was third in 2:00.46. The 15-year-old will be among the youngest in tonight’s final.Just behind Draobt was Stanzi Moseley, who will be bumped to the B final as the third American – each nation can enter just two into the championship heat. Moseley was 2:00.92.

Australia’s Chelsea Gillett is her country’s second entrant at 2:01.11, just beating out Tamsin Cook (2:01.20). Cook will join Moseley in the B.

Behind that USA-Australia crew is Canadian Alexandra Aitchison (2:01.50)followed closely by Japan’s Sachi Mochida (2:01.58). Their teammates round out the top 8 in reverse order, with Japan’s Hiroki Makino at 2:02.25 and Canada’s Alexandra Buscher at 2:02.26.

Probable A finalists:

1. Shayna Jack, Australia, 1:59.63
2. Katie Drabot, USA, 1:59.93
3. Courtney Harnish, USA, 2:00.46
4. Chelsea Gillett, AUS, 2:01.50
5. Alexandra Aitchison, CAN, 2:01.50
6. Sachi Mochida, JPN, 2:01.58
7. Hiroki Makino, JPN, 2:02.25
8. Alexandra Buscher, CAN, 2:02.26

Boys 200 Free – Prelims

American Townley Haas followed up an outstanding Junior National meet with a top seed at Junior Pan Pacs. Haas cut two tenths from his lifetime-best to go 1:48.51 in the 200 free. That’ll run away with the top seed, a second and a half ahead of Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto (1:49.93). Haas is just .07 off of the meet record set by Clay Youngquist 4 years ago.

American Blake Pieroni was 1:50.39 for third, just beating out his teammate Aidan Burns. Burns will be relegated to the B after going 1:50.82 this morning.

China’s Yongwei Li will be that country’s first finalist of the meet, going 1:50.90 for the fourth seed into finals. Australia’s Samuel Young (1:51.66) and Japan’s Fuyu Yoshida (1:51.67) are separated by just a hundredth, with 7-seed Damian Fyfe of Australia five hundredths back in 1:51.72. Australia’s Max Carleton was 1:52.23 for the next spot, but gets bumped to the B as Australia’s third man, so Canadian Peter Brothers gets the A final nod at 1:52.41.

Probable A finalists:

1. Townley Haas, USA, 1:48.51
2. Katsuhiro Matsumoto, JPN, 1:49.93
3. Blake Pieroni, USA, 1:50.39
4. Yongwei Li, CHN, 1:50.90
5. Samuel Young, AUS, 1:51.66
6. Fuyu Yoshida, JPN, 1:51.67
7. Damian Fyfe, AUS, 1:51.72
8. Peter Brothers, CAN, 1:52.41

Girls 100 Back – Prelims

It’ll be another American top seed, as Amy Bilquist leads the girls 100 backstrokers. Bilquist and Haas were the stars of U.S. Junior Nationals, so it’s no surprise to see them doing well in Maui. Bilquist was 1:01.96 this morning, a ways off a personal best, but will lead the field by a half-second into tonight.

Australia’s Lucy McJannett took second, going 1:02.44, with Canadian Danielle Hanus just behind (1:02.50). McJannett dropped from her seed, but Hanus was over a second off her seed time, so if she can get back to that range tonight, perhaps she can give Bilquist a run. The two will be side-by-side in lanes 3 and 4.

Korea’s Dalin Lee is the fourth seed at 1:02.76, and things get really tight behind her. A tenth back is Japan’s Natusmi Sakai (1:02.85), another tenth and you have her teammate Rio Shirai (1:02.92) and not even a tenth behind her is Minna Atherton of Australia (1:02.97). That takes care of the top 7 seeds, and Americans Hannah Weiss and Claire Adams fought for the final US spot, with Weiss going 1:03.08 to take 8th. Adams will slide to the consols, meaning Carmel, Indiana has the top seed in each of the finals heats tonight.

Probable A finalists:

1. Amy Bilquist, USA, 1:01.96
2. Lucy McJannett, AUS, 1:02.44
3. Danielle Hanus, CAN, 1:02.50
4. Dalin Lee, KOR, 1:02.76
5. Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 1:02.85
6. Rio Shirai, JPN, 1:02.92
7. Minna Atherton, AUS, 1:02.97
8. Hannah Weiss, USA, 1:03.08

 Boys 100 Backstroke – Prelims

15-year-old Michael Andrew was the U.S. Junior National champ in this event, and he’s now the lead dog to win the Junior Pan Pac title after going 55.80 for the top seed out of prelims. That’s .07 off his best. Andrew will be joined by his teammate Connor Green in the final. Green was 56.05 to give the Americans the middle two lanes.

Canada’s Markus Thormeyer is the third seed at 56.37, and New Zealand gets its first finalist with Andrew Trembath’s 56.54.

Canada’s second entrant is Anders Klein (57.08) before Mexico’s Andy Xianyang Song An (57.16) and Australia’s top man Peter Mills (57.51). The Canadians did very well in this race, with Daniel Kuiack going fast enough to make A final at 57.62 but getting bumped to the B. The next qualifier would be Ethan Young, but the American also gets bumped to the consols with his 57.77. Ultimately, the final lane went to Mexico’s second swimmer, Mateo Gonzale Medina, who was 58.71.

Probable A finalists:

1. Michael Andrew, USA, 55.80
2. Connor Green, USA, 56.05
3. Markus Thormeyer, CAN, 56.37
4. Andrew Trembath, NZE, 56.54
5. Anders Klein, CAN, 57.08
6. Andy Xianyang Song An, MEX, 57.16
7. Peter Mills, AUS, 57.51
8. Mateo Gonzalez Medina, MEX, 58.71

Girls 200 Fly – Prelims

Things continue to go well for the Americans, as 16-year-old Hannah Kukurugya earned the nation’s fourth-straight top seed with a 2:10.04 in the 200 fly. That’s a lifetime-best for Kukurugya, who had a breakout summer, dropping over three seconds in August. She’s now just over a half-second off the meet record.

Japan’s Haruno Ito is the next seed at 2:10.47, and for prelims at least, the top two are a bit removed from the rest of the field.

Cassidy Bayer was 2:12.30 for the Americans, giving them two solid medal threats. Japan is also in contention for a pair of medals as the fourth seed went to Suzuka Hasegawa, the youngest swimmer in the field. Hasegawa was born in 2000, making her 13 or 14 years old, and her 2:12.40 is just a tenth behind Bayer.

The third American was behind them – Kara Kopcso in 2:13.17, but she’ll be moved to the consols for tonight. Australia’s Christina Licciardi moves up to take her place after going 2:13.66.

Also out: Japan’s Rika Nara (2:13.74), who will kick off the U.S.-Japan rivalry in this event from the B final against Kopcso.

Canada’s Jacomie Strydom was 2:14.27 and moves to 6th, and joining her in the A final are Megan Gianotti (Australia – 2:15.71) and Grace Sommerville (New Zealand – 2:17.68).

Probable A finalists:

1. Hannah Kukurugya, USA, 2:10.04
2. Haruno Ito, JPN, 2:10.47
3. Cassidy Bayer, USA, 2:12.30
4. Suzuka Hasegawa, JPN, 2:12.40
5. Christina Licciardi, AUS, 2:3.66
6. Jacomie Strydom, CAN, 2:14.27
7. Megan Gianott, AUS, 2:15.71
8. Grace Sommerville, NZE, 2:17.68

Boys 200 Fly – Prelims

In the hunt for four individual titles here, Andrew Seliskar started things off right with a meet record in the 200 fly. Seliskar was 1:56.65, just off his best, and is the clear-cut favorite to win this race tonight. He took eight tenths of a second off the meet record, set by Japan’s Kenta Hirai in 2012.

Hirai’s countryman Yuya Yajima is the second seed, back at 1:58.23. The only other swimmer under two minutes was American Corey Okubo at 1:59.42.

Australia swept the next three spots with Jacob Hansford (2:00.23), Joachim Bardrum (2:01.72) and Dominic Richardson (2:02.05), though Richardson will head to the B final. New Zealander Bradlee Ashby moves up to the 6-seed to take his place. Asby was 2:02.09 in prelims.

Also into the final: Canada’s Osvald Nitski (2:02.14) and Japan’s Junya Higuchi (2:02.33).

Probable A finalists:

1. Andrew Seliskar, USA, 1:56.65 – meet record
2. Yuya Yajima, JPN, 1:58.23
3. Corey Okubo, USA, 1:59.42
4. Jacob Hansford, AUS, 2:00.23
5. Joachim Bardrum, AUS, 2:01.72
6. Bradlee Ashby, NZE, 2:02.09
7. Osvald Nitski, CAN, 2:02.14
8. Junya Higuchi, JPN, 2:02.33